United sunk by City's super subs!

Norwich City 1 Leeds 0
 
Victory took Norwich a big step closer to promotion as League One champions,
opening up an 11-point gap between themselves and their
nearest rivals: Leeds and Millwall, who are now level on 71 points.

The pulsating game had looked like it was heading for a draw, which
would have been a fair result between the top two sides, until
substitute Chris Martin’s brave diving header broke Leeds’ hearts in
the 89th minute.
 
Paul Lambert can take a lot of credit for the victory, as the perfect
cross for Martin to score from came from fellow sub Stephen Hughes, who
had been introduced just four minutes earlier by the City boss.
 
He had made two changes from the side that conceded a late, late
equaliser at Swindon last week. Adam Drury, having recovered from the thigh
injury, which saw him substituted early in the game at Walsall on 26th 
January,
started at left back instead of Michael Rose, who dropped to
the bench, as did striker Chris Martin. This meant on-loan striker
Stephen Elliott was handed his first start, having scored two goals in
three sub appearances.
 
Zak Whitbread made the bench after recovering from the foot injury
picked in the Reserves’ midweek defeat at Watford.
By contrast, Simon Grayson made wholesale changes to the side that
embarrassed him by losing at home to Millwall on Monday night.
 
Keeper, Casper Ankergren, Bradley Johnson, Leigh Bromby and Paul
Dickov, were all relegated to the bench, while Patrick Kisnorbo didn’t
travel with the squad, now out for the rest of the season following the
injury he sustained in that defeat. Grayson also changed his line up to
match the home side’s diamond formation.
 
City kicked off towards the Barclay End and immediately forced Leeds
into conceding a corner, amid a tumultuous atmosphere.
 
City kept up the pressure, as Darel Russell’s free kick (for Michael
Doyles’s body check on Simon Lappin) went out for another corner. The
visitors’ keeper, Shane Higgs fumbled the ball and his defensive
colleagues really struggled to clear.
 
Leeds won their first corner in the ninth minute after Beckford’s shot
was deflected, but it was comfortably cleared by Drury at the near
post.
 
A slick passing move, initiated by Drury, saw a quick 1-2 played
between Elliot and Lappin, opening up the United defence for the
Scottish midfielder to get in a shot, but, on his weaker right foot, it
flew wide of Higg’s right-hand post.
 
There was then a lengthy break in play when Luciano Becchio was on the
receiving end of Michael Nelson’s boot when they went for a 50-50 ball
just inside the Norwich half. The Leeds’ midfielder played no further
part, in what was already a fiercely contested game, and was replaced
by Mike Grella.
 
City opened up the Leeds defence again in the 18th minute as a swift
interchange of passes between Holt and Elliott, saw the latter feed
Lappin, but as he crossed Hoolahan had drifted offside.
 
In the 25th minute, midfielder Neil Kilkenny showed his frustration as
his shot from distance sailed harmlessly over Fraser Forster’s goal.
 
City immediately went back on the offensive with Holt running onto
Drury’s through ball to win a corner off Richard Naylor, but Leeds
easily cleared the flag-kick.
 
Great tenacity from Hoolahan, Lappin and Drury ensured a ball, which
looked to be going out for a goal kick, stayed in play. From the
resulting throw in, Lappin’s cross was deflected out, but referee Lee
Probert awarded a goal kick and not a corner, much to Lappin’s anger!
 
As City attempted to break Leeds down again, ex-Ipswich player, Naylor
was harshly shown the yellow card, as he brought down Holt just outside
his area.  Russell Martin’s free kick was only cleared as far as the
City right back who found Hoolahan. Even though Hughes was on the floor
and handled, the ref penalised Hoolahan.
 
Snodgrass was cautioned in the 40th minute as he caught Drury in the
face when both jumped for the ball.
 
Mr Probert played a wonderful advantage when Drury was fouled in
central midfield, only calling play back when City lost possession.
From the free kick the ball was played out wide to Martin, who cut in
to find Korey Smith. His shot was blocked and when the ball fell to
Holt unmarked on the edge of the area, he looked odds on to score. But
City’s leading marksman sliced his shot and Higgs watched it fly safely
high over the bar.
 
Not surprisingly, after Becchio’s injury, there was 5 minutes of added
time, in which both sides battled for supremacy.
 
HALF TIME:  City 0 Leeds 0
 
There were no changes as the visitors kicked off defending the River
End. Smith picked up a loose ball in midfield and tried to find Holt in
the area. It was cleared back to him, and as he attempted to get
another cross in, he fouled Doyle, a challenge Mr Probert deemed worthy
of a yellow card.
 
Forster was alert to Hughes’ deep right wing cross, coolly claiming
the ball above his head. Leeds continued to have the lion’s share of
the play, but Russell strongly fought off challenges to set Martin away
on the right.
 
The City right back’s attempted cross was blocked for a corner, from
which Gary Doherty had a free header, which went wide.
 
Then Elliott had an even better chance to opening the scoring. A
wonderful chip over the Leeds defence set Elliott away free in the
inside right hand channel, but under pressure from Shane Lowry he
sliced his shot wide of Higg’s left hand upright.
 
It was then Grella’s turn to spurn a golden opportunity, for having
avoided the challenges of Doherty and Drury, his resulting shot
dribbled to the waiting Forster.
 
Doherty then timed his headed challenge with Beckford to perfection,
to find Forster and deprive the Yorkshire side’s leading scorer of a
rare chance to shoot.
 
Lambert then made his first change of the afternoon, withdrawing the
tiring Elliott for Chris Martin in the 62nd minute, who received a
wonderful reception from the home crowd singing: ‘Super Chris!’
 
Drury’s cross was deflected for a corner and although the resulting
flag-kick didn’t clear the first defender, Russell’s tenacity saw him,
not only regain possession, but create a shooting chance for himself.
Unfortunately for him, his shot lacked any power to trouble Higgs.
 
Holt then found himself in the referee’s notebook, for a clumsy foul
on Snodgrass, to which the Leeds’ players reacted angrily. Mr Probert
was very quick to diffuse any frustrations from boiling over.
 
This was immediately followed by City’s second substitution, with
Anthony McNamee replacing Hoolahan, who hadn’t been at his mercurial
best, against a very physical United side.
 
He was in the wars straight away, with Lowry catching him late, which
earned the Leeds’ defender a booking.
 
Then City threw their last roll of the dice bringing on Stephen Hughes
for Smith who had worked tirelessly throughout the game. This was
swiftly followed by Bradley Johnson coming on for Kilkenny, who was
furious about being substituted!
 
With almost his first touch, the City sub latched on to a headed pass
from his skipper, Grant Holt and raced down the right wing to deliver
a perfect cross to the near post, which Chris Martin met with a glancing
header, beating Higgs' despaiing dive, low to his right.
Needless to say, the home fans erupted in sheer delight.
as the ball nestled in the bottom far corner of the net.
 
Leeds made their last change with Tresor Kandol coming on for
Snodgrass, but amazingly he was only on the pitch for seconds.
Following a Leeds free kick in the first of four extra minutes, which
the City defence cleared, the referee quite clearly saw something,
which saw him brandish the red card to the Leeds’ substitute.
 
FULL-TIME: City 1 Leeds 0
 
TEAMS:
City:
Forster (GK), Drury, Nelson, Doherty, R. Martin, Hoolahan (McNamee
72), Lappin, Smith (Hughes 85) Holt, Elliott (C. Martin 62)
 
Unused Subs: Rudd (GK), Rose, Whitbread, Johnson
 
Leeds: Higgs (gk), Doyle, Naylor ©, Kilkenny (Johnson 86), Beckford,
Becchio (Grella 15), Howson, Lowry, Hughes, Snodgrass (Kandol 90),
Collins
 
Unused Subs: Ankergren (gk), Dickov, Bromby, Gradel
 
Goals:
City: Martin (89)
Leeds: None
 
Bookings:
City: Smith 48, Holt 71,
Leeds: Naylor 37, Snodgrass 40, Lowry 75,  Kandol (90) RED.
 
Referee:  Mr Lee Probert
 
Attendance: 25,445